In addition to talking about the salary/money that you will earn from a job in a job interview, it is also important to know what the benefits (services or payments in addition to the salary, commission and the bonus) and conditions (working hours, holidays etc...) of the job are.

Some of these benefits and conditions are negotiable (they can be changed), but the majority aren't. Normally, the interviewer will tell you what they are at the end of the interview or when you have been offered the job.

In this second part of two online exercises on job salary and conditions, you are going to learn the English vocabulary that is used when talking about benefits and conditions in a job interview. Although the focus here is on job interviews, this vocabulary can also be used outside of them.

Click here to go to the first part of this exercise (which focuses on salary/money vocabulary)

Click here to see more of our free online exercises on CVs/resumes and job interviews


Exercise: Talking about benefits & conditions in an interview

Read the following conversation between an interviewer and interviewee about the benefits and conditions of a job in a job interview.

From the context, try to guess what the meaning of the words/phrases in bold are. Then do the quiz at the end to check if you are right.

Interviewer:'So, you agree with the salary we are offering you for the job?'

Interviewee:'Yes I do. There is something that I would like to ask you. How many days of holiday would I be entitled to?'

Interviewer:'For this position you will receive 30 days of paid holiday each year. There's no restriction on when you can take them. So, you can take a day off or two weeks off at any time you want.'

Interviewee:'Does the 30 days of paid holiday include bank holidays like Christmas Day or May Day?'

Interviewer:'No, you receive 30 days in addition to all the bank holidays in the year. You are also paid for the bank holidays as well.'

Interviewee:'How many hours a week would I be working?'

Interviewer:'Well, the job is full-time, so that would be 35 hours a week. That does not include the one hour for lunch.'

Interviewee:'In my current job I do flexitime. I can work the hours when I prefer to. Normally, I start at 11am and finish at 7pm. Would it be possible to do the same here?'

Interviewer:'I am afraid that for this position there is no flexitime. So you would have to start at 9am and finish at 5pm. Also, I need to mention about the dress code at the office. If you are meeting with clients then you have to wear formal business clothes. But if not, then the dress code is smart casual. You don't have to wear a suit or tie, but you can't wear jeans or t-shirts.'

Interviewee:'It is the same where I currently work.'

Interviewer:'The last thing I need to tell you about is the benefits package that comes with the job.'

Interviewee:'Is there a pension scheme?'

Interviewer:'Yes there is. The company pays money into a private pension scheme which you will start to receive when you retire at 67. With the position, you will also be entitled to private health insurance. The company will pay for you to see a private doctor and go to a private hospital for any treatment.'

Interviewee:'Does the benefits package include a company car?'

Interviewer:'Yes, the company will provide you with your own car to use for general travel and business trips. Plus, you will be paid for all your expenses when you are on business trips, like buying meals and staying in hotels.'

Interviewee:'Do you have a share scheme?'

Interviewer:'Yes, each year you can buy some of the company's shares at a reduced price. Both the share scheme and the private medical insurance are opt in. So it is your decision if you want to do it or not. Also, because you live in Edinburgh and the job is in Paris, we will provide you with a relocation package to pay for you to move to Paris and to stay in a hotel until you find a flat or house.'



Quiz: Job salary & conditions vocabulary for interviews part 2

Match the words/phrases in bold from the above text to each of the definitions/descriptions below. Click on the "Check" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers.

When the answer is correct, two icons will appear below the answer. The "" icon contains extra information on the word/phrase. In the "" icon, you can listen to the pronunciation of the word/phrase.


1. The rules for what clothes you can wear at work/in the office, is called the

         

Dress code:
(noun) The 'dress code' is the rules that companies have for what style or type of clothes their employees can wear at work. There are three different types. The first is 'formal' or 'business look', where staff have to wear a business dress or suit and tie. The second is 'smart casual', where you don't have to wear a business dress or suit and tie, but can't wear jeans or t-shirts. The last is 'casual', where you can wear what you like. It is common for offices to have a 'casual day' once a month or week. In Spanish: "código de vestimenta".

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Dress code:

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2. Days which are national holidays where the majority of people don't work, are called

         

Bank holidays:
(noun) A 'bank holiday' is a day like 'Christmas Day' or 'Thanksgiving' which is a national holiday. It is paid 'day off' for workers. Apart from the 'bank holidays' at Christmas, in the English-speaking world the rest of them are always on a Monday or Friday. In Spanish: "días festivos".

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Bank holidays:

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3. A type of employee benefit where you can buy cheap shares in the company that you work for, is a

         

Share scheme:
(noun) 'share schemes' are a way to sell/give shares directly to the employees by large companies (Public Limited Companies). If you have 'shares' in a company, you own a small part of that company. There are different types of 'share schemes'. A 'share option scheme' is where the employee has an option to buy shares at a reduced price in the future (normally after two years of entering the scheme). A 'share award scheme' is where an employee is given a number of free shares, but will only receive them if they stay at the company for between two to five years more. 'share schemes' are often used by companies to motivate their staff to stay at the company. In Spanish: "el sistema de accionariado de los empleados".

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Share scheme:

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4. A formal verb that means that somebody has the 'right to' use or have something, is

         

Be entitled to:
(verb) 'to be entitled to' means that somebody has the 'right to' use or have something (e.g. visit a doctor for free, receive unemployment benefits etc...). In job interviews, 'to be entitled to' is often used to talk about the number of paid holidays that an employee has the 'right to' use, e.g. 'in the job you are entitled to 25 paid holidays each year'. The verb sounds very professional. The noun of this verb is 'entitlement',e.g. 'what is my holiday entitlement?'. In Spanish: "tener derecho a".

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Be entitled to:

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5. When you work between 35 to 40 hours a week in a company, you are working

         

Full-time:
(noun) 'full-time' is a type of job/position where an employee/worker is contracted to work a minimum of 35 hours each week. 'full-time' is normally used after the verb 'to work' (e.g. 'he works full-time') or in front of 'position', 'job' or 'contract' (e.g. 'we are offering you a full-time contract'). When somebody works 20 hours or less, it is called 'part-time'. In Spanish: "tiempo completo".

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Full-time:

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6. When you spend your own money for work activities (e.g. a business lunch, hotel rooms etc..), they are called

         

Expenses:
(noun) 'expenses' is the money that an employee spends from their own bank account/wallet for work connected/related activities. For example, on a business trip, an employee may have to pay for a hotel, meals, taxis etc.... Normally, the employee will keep the receipts of these 'expenses' and 'claim them back'/ask for them back from the company later (the company will then give them the money of what they have spent). Sometimes a company will give an employee an 'allowance' if they work away on business. An 'allowance' is a set/fixed amount of money that an employee receives for each day they work away to buy things (e.g. food, taxis etc..). In Spanish: "gastos".

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Expenses:

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7. The money that somebody receives for moving to a new city/country for a job, is called a

         

Relocation package:
(noun) A 'relocation package' is the name for the money/help that an employee receives from their company for taking a job in a different city or country. Normally, a 'relocation package' includes money to move furniture or possessions, for hotel accommodation and flights/transport. In Spanish: "paquete de reubicación".

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Relocation package:

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8. A type of benefit where an employee can visit a private doctor, is

         

Private health insurance:
(noun) 'private medical/health insurance' is a type of benefit where the company pays for the employee to see and be treated for medical problems by a private doctor or hospital. Most company offer this type of benefit to employees who work in professional positions (e.g. accountants, engineers etc...) or are managers. Sometimes, the 'private health insurance' is for the employee's family as well. Depending on the company, the employee may have to contribute/pay for a part of the treatment. In Spanish: "seguro médico privado".

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Private health insurance:

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9. Another way to say 'one day of holiday', is

         

Day off:
(noun) A 'day off' is the commonly used noun to mean 'one day of holiday', e.g. 'Peter is not in the office today, he has a day off'. You can also use this for multiple days of holiday (e.g. 'two days off' or 'a week off'). In Spanish: "dia libre".

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Day off:

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10. A scheme where a company pays money for when an employee retires/stops working, is a

         

Pension scheme:
(noun) A 'pension scheme' is a type of benefit where a company pays money for when an employee permanently stops working/retires. A 'pension' is like a salary a person receives when they are too old to work (in their sixties). Most companies offer their employees the option to join their company 'pension scheme'. The advantage is that they will receive a bigger 'pension' (more money) than from a government/state 'pension'. Normally, both the company and the employee pay money into the 'pension scheme' each month. In Spanish: "plan de pensiones".

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Pension scheme:

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11. A vehicle that a company gives an employee to use and travel in, is called a

         

Company car:
(noun) A 'company car' is a car that a company gives to their employee to use and travel in (for both work and non-business use). The car is owned by the company and they pay for all maintenance (repairs) and service costs. While in some countries, employees have to pay tax for having a 'company car', in other they don't. A 'company car' is different to a 'pool car' which is only used for business travel and is shared between different employees. In Spanish: "coche de empresa".

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Company car:

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12. The name of the 'package' to employees that includes a company car, pension scheme etc..., is called a

         

Benefits package:
(noun) A 'benefits package' is the name for all the extra services and objects that an employee receives from a company for working in a job. A 'benefits package' can include private health insurance, a company car, membership to clubs etc... The salary is not part of a 'benefits package'. In Spanish: "paquete de beneficios/prestaciones".

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Benefits package:

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13. When an employee can choose when they work their hours at work, they are working

         

Flexitime:
(noun) 'flexitime' is also known as 'flexible working hours'. It is when an employee doesn't have fixed/set working hours and they can choose when they want to work (in the mornings or afternoons). They still have to do all the hours they have been contracted/employed to work, but it's their choice when. 'flexitime' is used with the verb 'to work', e.g. 'I work flexitime'. In Spanish: "horario flexible".

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Flexitime:

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14. A phrase that means that somebody can 'choose' to join a scheme, is

         

Opt in:
(phrasal verb) 'to opt in' means that an employee can decide themselves if they want to participate or join a scheme. It is only used for pension schemes, share scheme or private health insurance, e.g. 'it's your choice if you want to opt in on the share scheme, it's not mandatory'. It is an intransitive phrasal verb (it doesn't have a direct object), e,g, 'I would like to opt in'. To stop participating in a scheme, you can use 'to opt out'. In Spanish: "optar por/unirse a".

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Practice

Now that you understand the meaning of the words/phrases and when to use them, practise using them by creating your own sentences with them in English. Also click on the "" icon under each correct answer and listen how each is pronounced correctly.